Harry Potter and the Legacy of the Red Bird
by DeafWizard
Summary: Harry Potter Year 8: Takes place post-Battle of Hogwarts with the wizarding community picking up the pieces of the war with a shared goal of rebuilding the community for a better tomorrow. Yet a lingering mystery remains, and the three who know the truth are now gone.


****DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Harry Potter**_** stories*****

**Prologue**

The night watchman sat in his wooden shack, shivering. Outside, a tempest was brewing, with an occasional burst of light to flash through the heavy night sky. The forecast predicted snow to come, but the watchman knew better. Snow, when mixed with the gale of the north sea, wreaked havoc on the weathered stone walls of the island prison. For regular prisons, yes. But not Azkaban.

He peered through the slit window fitted in the door. "Only fools in their right minds would dare venture out in this madness…" With that, he returned to reading yesterday's _Daily Prophet_.

Indeed, for a wooden rowboat was inching its way across the waves towards the foreboding rocks that littered what little shore the island provided that wasn't already occupied by the shack.

While the watchman read up the article on the follow-up inquiry of a said Sirius Black and the thirteen Muggles killed, the three occupants of the boat did not speak as they approached the island.

The elderly man sitting in the prow boasted an imposing wand held aloft, illuminating the way; two men sat astride on the rower's bench. One was missing his leg; long since replaced with a wooden peg leg. In addition to the leg, he was also missing an eye – replaced with a glass eye that seemed to spin in every direction on a constant basis. While he rowed, the third man stared straight ahead at Azkaban, not breaking his gaze with each wallop from waves attacking the boat.

Upon arrival, the older of the men led the others up the few decaying stone steps to the wooden shack. He rapped on the door while the crazy-eyed man surveyed his surroundings with a suspicious glare.

"Never liked this place, Azkaban," The man with the glass eye plucked a wand from a hidden holster on his left arm and held it aloft. After muttering a spell, his wand lit up, casting a feeble shell of light onto the imposing stone edifice of the prison. The absence of a door – or even windows – did not seem to perturb the trio.

The nonsmiling man stood off to the side, waiting patiently.

Inside the shack, the watchman muttered a series of choice words and abandoned the paper. Popping the door open a crack with enough room to allow a nose and an eye to peek through, he stared at the strangers. Nobody visited at night – it wasn't right – but again, nobody visited during the day unless they absolutely had to. " 'ello? O' – it's you, Dumbledore – "

The man smoothed the front of his ludicrously purple robes. "Good evening – pleasant weather out there, I daresay?"

"Get on wi' the program!" The man missing an eye rapped his peg leg on the stone wall. "Don't 'av got the time!"

A ghost of a smirk appeared on Albus Dumbledore's face. "Alastor. In good time." With that, he turned his attention back to the watchman. "We received a message that a prisoner is giving birth shortly, yes?"

The watchman grunted a response. "Yeh – tha' crazy bitch. Ain't fit ter a mither, methinks."

A scoff escaped from the third man. "Or so you presume?"

"Nevertheless, we are here to assist in any manner that we can, Severus. Alastor – " He glanced at Moody, who was now running his wand across the stone wall as if searching for an opening. " – there is no need for that." With that, Dumbledore swept a hand out towards the watchman. "If you would be so kind…"

The watchman jerked his head. He flicked his wand at the stone wall behind the shack. The stones crumbled away to reveal an archway that led into an interior hallway.

Severus led the other two through the winding hallways that created the heart of Azkaban. Despite the fact the hallways weren't marked, the three knew exactly where to go. Down, into the bowels of the wizard prison they went until they found themselves in a heavily warded passageway. A pair of dementors hovered at the entryway to a set of rooms tucked at the end of the passage.

After indicating their reason for the visit, the three entered the first chamber. They did not have to wait very long. A Healer in white robes approached the trio. "Busy – very busy here – 'ow can I 'elp you?"

Dumbledore stepped forward. "We are here on the behalf of a certain prisoner – Miss Lestrange – I believe? She is with child?"

"Yeh – I've got the other Healers 'olding her with her kickin' and yelling' and all." The Healer pointed at a chamber off to the side. "She's in there." With that, he spun off and disappeared into another chamber.

"Bloody hell – I hate this place – gives me the creeps – " Moody muttered as he limped towards the chamber where the birth was taking place. Continuing with silence, Snape followed him as did Dumbledore.

Inside the chamber, a team of Healers surrounded a woman, who was in the final thrones of childbirth, judging from the death threats being thrown at her companions. The three stood off to the side and watched as the woman's sister leaned over the bed and murmured calming words, only the prisoner was having nothing out of it.

"Bella… it's going to be all right… Bella – "

"Get it out! Cissy – tell the imbeciles to get this thing OUT!" Her head pitched back as fresh waves of stabbing pains hit her abdomen. "Cissy!"

Ignoring the welts on her arms from her sister's clutches, the woman glanced at the Healer positioned between the legs. "My sister would like – "

"All right! I heard!" With that he doubled his efforts in getting the woman to push in between repeated curses (thank god she didn't have a wand in hand) and death threats. "One more – here comes the baby – "

A shrill cry pierced the air as the Healer caught the infant. "Alive!"

The woman held out her arms. "Give it here – " at the same time Dumbledore made his presence known to the others.

"Healer – Alastor here is under orders from the Ministry to take the child – "

"What – _no_!" With that, Bellatrix turned her head to her sister and pleaded, "Don't let them take _my_ baby!"

Narcissa Malfoy rose from her seat and approached the three men. "I'm the aunt – _I'll_ take care of the child."

"Indeed you could, " Dumbledore said "But given the situation, I do sincerely believe it would best for both the child and the mother – "

"But – "

Dumbledore shook his head. Ignoring the pleas from the women, he turned to the Healer. "If you so may?"

Having verified the official parchment with the order, the doctor shrugged and handed the child over to a female Healer. She wrapped the infant in a worn but clean prison-issue blanket. Once the infant was swaddled, the Healer picked the infant and carried the bundle over to the trio.

Snape shied away from the bundle with contempt. Leaning heavily on one foot, Moody held out a hand for the child. The Healer carefully placed the child in his waiting arm.

Dumbledore held the order out for the female Healer to sign. Once that was done, he beckoned his companions to follow. A barrage of shrieking met his actions. Ignoring the dismay of the mother and aunt behind him, he strode out of the chamber.

Snape followed at his heels with Moody trailing behind with the child in arms.

Back in the antechamber, Dumbledore checked for potential eavesdroppers as he waited for Moody and Snape to catch up.

"She can never know." Dumbledore glanced at the sleeping infant nestled in the crook of Moody's arm. "Yes – that would be best – for everyone involved." With that, he exited the antechamber.

Still standing in the doorway, Snape witnessed the screaming match going on between the bedridden patient and family surrounding the bed. He turned to Dumbledore, who had already started down the passageway. "Who?" Thinking the old man hadn't heard him, he repeated his query, "_Who_ can never know?"

But the headmaster had already Disapparated with a faint '_pop'_.

*****Author's Notes*****

**For this story, I will be sticking to canon as much as possible, using the tidbits that J.K. Rowling has shared in several interviews of facts and events occurring post Battle of Hogwarts as the basis of this story. I do have a rough idea of where this story will go, but I am more than open to ideas and suggestions. **

**Reviews are more than welcome! **


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